David Hill wrote in
:

On 22/06/2013 19:06, David.WE.Roberts wrote:
A week or so back I bought some Cos lettuce plants from a local
nursery.

They are growing well and fast in the 'raised bed' bags but so far
they don't look like the picture on the label :-)

At the moment they are more like a leaf lettuce than a heart lettuce
- but it looks as though the heart is beginning to develop.

If this carries on, I think I will have a lettuce heart and a more or
less redundant ring of leaves around the base.

So when can I pick these outer leaves for an early crop without
compromising the forming of the heart?

Cheers

Dave R

Cos lettuce come as 2 types Little Gem which form a good heart and
traditional cos such as Lobjoits which forms a very loose heart, these
were typically tied closed with raffia so that the inner leaves were
blanched.
I wouldn't touch the outer leaves.
It sounds to me as if you would be better of with something like Salad
bowl which is designed to be cut and come again.


Little gem is the prefered one we grow. Tight heart and very quick from
seed to harvest. I drop a seed or two between rows of cabbages every week
as a catch crop. I do this to try and have my prefered salad crop all
together. Tomatoes, cucumber, letuce, spring onions. With new potatoes.

Baz